Barbara Meiklejohn-Free

PennSound serves as a vast digital repository for poetry recordings, making over 1500 full-length and single-poem audio files freely available for download. Described as the "iTunes for poetry," the website hosts a significant collection of sound files, including historic readings from renowned poets like Ezra Pound and H.D., alongside contemporary voices such as Allen Ginsberg and Lyn Hejinian. The project is a collaboration involving the Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing at the University of Pennsylvania and is codirected by Al Filreis, Charles Bernstein, and Chris Mustazza.

The archive is meticulously organized, featuring individual author pages, recordings from specific reading series, thematic collections, and a searchable archive of individual poems. PennSound also includes multimedia content, such as videos related to poetry and podcast series that highlight featured recordings. The collection extends to classical works, encompassing readings from figures like John Milton and William Shakespeare, broadening its scope beyond modern and contemporary poetry.

PennSound functions as a comprehensive online archive, providing access to a substantial collection of poetry readings. The website hosts over 50,000 sound files, all offered as free, downloadable MP3s, ensuring broad accessibility for listeners, educators, and institutions. This extensive collection features recordings from a wide spectrum of poets, spanning historical figures like William Carlos Williams and Gertrude Stein to more recent literary voices. The project emphasizes non-commercial use of these audio resources, facilitating their integration into educational settings and personal listening experiences.

The PennSound archive is structured to facilitate easy navigation and discovery of its diverse content. Recordings are categorized into various sections, including dedicated author pages that house both historical and contemporary readings. Additionally, the site features pages for specific poetry reading series, anthologies, collections, and groups, allowing users to explore thematic or event-based compilations. A dedicated singles archive provides access to individual poems and miscellaneous recordings, while PennSound Cinema and PennSound Podcasts offer video and audio series related to poetry. The collection also extends to classical literature, including readings of works by authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare.

PennSound operates under a defined manifesto, established by Charles Bernstein, outlining key principles for the archive's content and accessibility. Central to this manifesto is the requirement that all recordings must be free and downloadable, with a minimum quality standard of MP3. Files are to be organized into individual tracks, clearly named, and embedded with bibliographic information. Furthermore, the manifesto mandates that sound files be indexed and retrievable through both library catalogs and web search engines, ensuring broad discoverability. This framework underscores a commitment to open access and robust archival practices.

“iTunes for poetry”